Stirling Council are currently seeking views on Community Councils, ahead of elections in 2018. Our community is served by two community councils, Braehead Community Council and Broomridge Community Council. Broomridge currently does not operate due to a lack of members.

Nearly 300 people enjoyed a spooky Halloween fun-day at Braehead Community Garden on Saturday 28th October. The second Braehead Pumpkin Festival started with a pumpkin carving workshop in the morning, with local children and their parents undertaking the messy business of scooping out the innards of their pumpkins ready for carving.

Serious pumpkin carving activities!

Then with the help of some of Braehead Community Garden’s more artistic members, everybody set about creating some scary or funny or artistic lanterns.

The discarded pumpkin flesh and seeds weren’t put to waste with Garden member Donna Rodgers, who also works for local charity Forth Enviroment Link, running a cooking workshop. Participants made spiced and roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin curry and pumpkin soup.

Donna helping Patsy, Katie and Fiona make some tasty soup.

All of the lanterns made at the workshop, along with pumpkins carved at home across the area, were entered into the after pumpkin show, with prizes for the scariest, funniest and most artistic creations. There were also awards for the best pumpkin carved by an under ten year old, an under fifteen year old, and best pumpkin that references a movie.

Then, as the sun began to set, the pumpkins were all lit up for a lantern display in the Community Garden event polytunnel. Two hundred people came to the garden to see the fantastic creations, enjoy some homemade soup and try traditional Halloween activities including “dookin’ for apples”. Many Braehead Primary School pupils walked in a lantern procession from the school to the community garden.

Community Garden Chairperson Chris Kane said,

“Carving pumpkin lanterns and cooking together are great family activities, which are even more fun when turned into community events. The carving workshop was messy and creative and fun. The cooking workshop showed you don’t need to waste anything and the lantern display at night looked stunning.”

“Here in Braehead we’re showing that communities who create together and grow together, can thrive together.”

Braehead Community Garden runs a number of free community events throughout the year. Membership, and year round access to the two and a half acre garden, costs just £12 per year.

On Saturday 28th October 2017, Braehead Community Garden will be holding its second Pumpkin Festival – and you and your family are invited to join in the fun.

Pumpkin Carving Workshop. 11am-1pm

If your carving skills stop at triangles for noses and circles for eyes, then bring your pumpkin to our PUMPKIN CARVING WORKSHOP between 11am and 1pm. We’ll have carving kits, templates and some artistic volunteers to help you create a pumpkin lantern to impress.

The event is FREE for Garden Access Pass holders and their children, £2 for non-members. Don’t forget to bring your own pumpkin!

Pumpkin Cookery Workshop. 1pm-2.30pm

Ever wondered if you could do something with the leftover pumpkin after a carving session? Come along to our cookery workshop and get some inspiration for recipes and then help creating delightful dishes! Free for members, £2 for non-members. Places are limited and this event MUST be booked by emailing *protected email*

Pumpkin Show (entries to be submitted at Community Garden between 1.30pm and 3pm)

Enter your carved pumpkin into our PUMPKIN SHOW and you could win a prize in one of our show categories. Hand your entry into the garden and we’ll judge the best, before showing all pumpkins in the evening lantern show. All pumpkins can be picked up on Sunday 30th between 1pm and 2pm. You can enter in any or all of the following categories:

Scariest Pumpkin

Funniest Pumpkin

Best Pumpkin that references a Movie

Best Pumpkin carved by a (supervised) under-10 year old

Best Pumpkin carved by a (supervised) under-15 year old

The winners will be announced and on display at the lantern festival.

Pumpkin Lantern Festival. 6pm-8pm

Come join us in the garden for a dazzling pumpkin lantern show. All of the pumpkins entered into our show will be lined up and lighting up the darkness in a spooky show of the best and scariest pumpkins in Stirling. We’ll also be dooking for apples and having some other fun Halloween activities in our Polytunnel. Entry is by donation. Teas, coffees and home baking will also be available.

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